Southwest High School - Roundup Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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GREAT CITIEQ3 QF SCDLJTI-I AMERICA y LVINACTON OUTH AMERICA may be likened to an uncut diamond, for ef' .1 .0 although civilization has known of the untold wealth awaiting Jil p development, it is only in recent years that man has made any i ill! fi , real effort to use this wealth. This fact also holds true for the cities, for contrary to the common belief that they are un- ? if healthy remnants of the past, they are extremely modern and f 'W S show an ever increasing tendency toward growth and im- m ,,,,,gL A provement. 2 A I Buenos Aires is the largest and most important city not only 1- I I fe . , of South America, but also the entire southern hemisphere. It , N ' is an outstanding example of rapid growth. From a population ',' ggi, p of 300,000 in 1880, it has risen to its present 2,476,887. It 'I' I M is both the capital and the heart of the Republic of Argentina: for situated at the head of a great ocean route from Europe to South America, it is served by ships of all nationalities, trading with coun- tries from all over the world. Two rivers, the Parana and the Uruguay, and all railways from the interior converge here. Thus Buenos Aires acts as a distributing point to the interior. The city is one of the leading manufacturing and shipping centers in South America, and exports products of the cattle and sheep industry, grains, and manufactured goods to all parts of the world. This city has been practically rebuilt in recent years, and now is a modern city with streets, parks, and plazas laid out in rectangular form. It lies on a plain which gently slopes down to the river. With an up-to-date drainage system, Buenos Aires lost its reputation for unhealthfulness. Its parks are many, and all are beautifully adorned with statues and fountains. Airlines connect Buenos Aires with almost all cities of importance in the western hemi- sphere. Its system of street-cars and subways is one of the best in the world, and all parts of the city are connected by them. The principal buildings are the Opera House, the state museum and library in conjunction with the Uni- versity of Buenos Aires, and a large cathedral. It is truly a busy and beautiful city. The second largest city in South America is Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil. It was first discovered in 1502 by Goncalo Coelho, but did not begin to grow until about half a century ago. Now it has a population of 1,801,784 and covers about sixty square miles. Rio is located on the southern shore of a landlocked harbor Hfteen miles in length, and from two to ten miles in width. The city covers about six miles of this coast, which is a narrow alluvial strip between the sea and the mountains. A white marble promenade has been constructed along its entire length. Palatial buildings and numerous statues and fountains are outstandingly beautiful. Avenid Rio Branco is an interesting street one mile long and 108 feet wide. It has a line of palm trees down the center, passes over picturesque causeways. and is lined with ornate banks, hotels, and public buildings. This street is the chief artery of traffic of the city and is one of the most beautiful in South America. Rio de Janeiro is surrounded by precipitous, granite mountains, two of which, the Par de Assucar fSugar Loaf Mountainl and Corcovado, a jagged peak rising from the city, give individuality and beauty. The temperature ranges between 600 and 900, and along with the beauty attracts thousands of tourists annually. On the alluvial peninsula an airport, Santos Dumont, has been built, and furthers the tourist trade. The city's industrial activities are many, but few are of vital importance. Shipping, favored by the city's mag- niflcent harbor, is the leading industry. In the United States very little is ever heard about Sao Paulo, Brazil, and yet it is the third largest city in South America. It has a population of 1,268,- 894, most of whom are Germans and Italians. It is located 310 miles south Sixteen

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and Victoria Regia are excellent examples of the former: among the latter are oranges, limes, pineapples, mangoes, bananas, and pomegranates. The greatest expanse of South America has a rainy, tropical climate. Since the heat is often so intense, the mountains have proved a great help to this continent, moderating the climate by offering their cool slopes and sending down refreshing streams of fresh, cold water. The climate is varied also by the fact that South America extends on both sides of the equator in contrast with the position of North America. West coast winds first modify its atmo- sphere: and then as they pass over the Andes eastward, they saturate the Amazon basin with rain. The precipitation has reached two hundred inches here at times. After the winds have crossed the mountains again, they leave the western slopes dry. However, in the South, climatic conditions are reversed. The western winds bring the rain and leave the Southeast dry. Thus their winter months are June, July, and August, and their summer months, December, January, and February, South America is a continent rich in mineral resources. The Andes hold fabulous reserves of gold, silver, copper, and tin: Brazil has large gold and diamond mines: Bolivia, great silver mines: and Chile is rich in copper, silver, coal, guano, niter, borax, and iodine compounds. The country also holds mercury and lead deposits of great value. But the treasures of this country of rugged mountains and rolling plains, fringed in dense tropical forests and reached by only a few navigable rivers, lie locked in unscaled mountains and impenetrable jungles, and we can only guess at their value. galil- if-50 Q14 ,an- Qi QE w hit 11- - 1v,gfr- - jeu V 1 ii,.'f ,: ' - , ' ,I t .. : .' 5 -.I --: 1 ' -: I 1- . .. , ll ,, r az,-2 f O ' 0 ' is A ' A Ruth Bunch Flllwu

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of Rio de Janeiro on a high plain bounded by hills. One of the best systems of roads and railways in the country connects it with Santos, a coastal town fifty miles away. Although Sao Paulo is lacking in scenic ,beauty, the tempera- ture is ideal for residents. The educational system is comparable to our own, and the English language is taught in a few schools. Many skyscrapers tower from the business district: the most famous of these, the Martinelli building, reaches twenty-five stories. Other famous buildings are the bishop's palace, a law school, a polytechnical school, and a large museum. Outstanding gardens, statues, and fountains line the front of the museum. However, San Paulo pays more heed to manufacturing than to beauty, and so is better known for its products and coffee trade than for architecture. One of the most beautifully situated cities is Santiago, capital of Chile and fourth largest city in this continent. Standing on a wide plain, 1706 feet above sea level, it is set in a ring of the snow capped Andes. It has a population of 85l,850, and covers an area of eight square miles. A nearly perfect climate prevails and, in addition to the scenic beauty, attracts people and business from every part of the globe. Because of the prevalence of earth- quakes, few houses exceed one story. This does not mean, however, that it has no large buildings whatever, for its mint, cathedral, post office, criminal courts, and homes of the presidents are all large and well-known. English is spoken to a certain extent, and the people imitate the English in many ways. It has enough skyscrapers, traffic problems, and bustle to warrant the name of a metropolitan area. The principal exports are gold, silver, and lead. The Mapocho River, crossing the city, has been put in an artincial rock channel, thus aiding its small but very important commerce. Its position in the Andes makes Santiago one of the most picturesque cities of the world, While its exported metals make it one of the richest. ' Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, is almost tied with Recife, Brazil, for fifth place with a population of 518,039. However, Montevideo is actually smaller, but in my estimation more interesting. It is built on a promontory of land jutting between Horseshoe Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and extends inland around the Cerro, a mountain from which it gets its name. Its best known buildings are also the cathedral, the opera house, the parliament house, and the Palacio Salvo, which is twelve stories high and has a tower fourteen stories high. Commercial development has been retarded greatly by the shallow- ness of the bay: but drydocks have been built, and now it is sharing the trade of a great ocean route from Europe and North America with Buenos Aires. The chief exports are wool, hides, tallow, dried beef, and meat extracts. A marked difference between Montevideo and other South American cities is that its population has decreased steadily, probably due to its lack of attraction to tourists and to its poor industries. The next group of cities diminish rapidly in population. They are as follows: Recife for Pernambucoj, Brazil, 529,863: Lima, Peru, 400,000: Porto Alegre, Brazil, 368352: Bogota, Colombia, 336,707: Para, Brazil, 309.2383 and Valparaiso, Chile, 245,000. These cities represent the enter- prising growth of all cities in South America. Though for some reason, either because of the poor attractions to people or for the lack of commerce, they seem to have little chance of overtaking the top ranking cities. Each, however, is noted for something: Recife, for cane and cotton: Lima, for the contrast of old Spanish houses with the succeeding modern ones: Porto Alegre, for being the most modern in all Brazil: Bogota, for its reputation in intellectual and cultural activities: Para, for its commerce in rubber, cacao, and timber, and its extremely hot temperature: and Valparaiso, for being the commercial center of the West coast, and for its name of Pearl of the South Pacific, because of its agreeable climate and background of snow capped mountains. .Every city, from the first to the last, has shown a marked improvement in conditions during the last decade, and all but one have increased in population. Some are even more modern and beautiful than our own cities, and all are ambitious to be considered among the most important cities in the world. 5e,,,.,,,,,e,,